TA5 – Information processing and management

Information Processing and Management (IP&M) is the ability to process data and heterogeneous information coming from many different sources to obtain knowledge and make it available to all the authorised users (based on user clearances and the “need to know” principle). Thus TA5 themes are expressed in:

Techniques for processing heterogeneous data;

Techniques for secure dissemination of information;

Interoperable platforms for access, exchange and distribution of information.

However IP&M does not address all the technologies required to support the whole process; to avoid overlapping with other TA’s some technologies are not addressed although they are relevant also for gathering intelligence, namely sensors technologies, including low-level signal processing, such as those required for remote sensing (e.g. unattended, self-organising sensor networks) and communication technologies. For its nature IP&M capabilities are required for any security missions but nevertheless for some of them it has a particular relevance, namely:

Protection against terrorism and organised crime (security of citizens)

Border security, with specific focus on the fighting of:

Illegal immigration, people smuggling and trafficking;

Trafficking of drugs, weapons and illicit substances.

IP&M appears to be relevant, although not as important, for Protection of Critical Infrastructures and Restoring security in case of crisis. More in detail, for the above mentioned missions and depending on the application scenarios the capabilities supported by IP&M technologies include: